Since I know first-hand the pain, stigma, and challenges that learning differences can bring to a person’s daily life, I understand my students’ struggles and can walk with them on their journey. Many years ago, I realized that I was not making a difference in people’s lives, so I earned a degree as a special educator. Initially, I was a learning specialist supporting clients worldwide who were seeking materials to help their struggling readers. Through my support of them, I became aware of the imminent need for highly trained professionals to reach people, especially in underserved areas. In the early 2000s, these interactions and connections birthed my online tutoring and mentoring business.
To ensure that I was providing the best interventions available, I became trained and certified at the Associate Level by the Orton-Gillingham Academy (previously known as the Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators). My background and training give me the incentive to leave no stone unturned in my effort to help students find the right tools to use as they acquire new knowledge. Even if their reading challenges are paired with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), processing disorders, writing difficulties, or memory challenges, I work to accommodate them. For over 25 years, I have been delivering online reading tutoring
Now, I balance my role as a hands-on school-based reading interventionist and resource teacher with my virtual tutoring. My school roles keep me grounded in the reality of today’s classroom environment, while my virtual tutoring allows me to deploy highly specialized, digital outreach. My visual arts background helps me envision and create multisensory materials to teach in-classroom concepts through cyberspace.